Street-sweeper.



Patented Mar. l2, 190|. J. T. COLLINS. STREET SWEEPER.

(Application med occ. s, 1900.)

3 Sheets-Sheet l.

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Nc. 669,664. Patented Mar. l2, 196|. J. T. coLLms.

STREET SWEEPER.

3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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(Application led Oct. 8, I900) (No Model.)

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No, s69,',6e4;- Patented Mar. l2, lam.

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STREET SWEEPER.

' (Ayplieation filed Oct. 8 1900.

(no model.)

3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

I r l Witnesses 59 59 vwemou 'VM/a rm; .nomas Parar co, wom-umn. wAsHwCYON. D C

` Nima STATES trice JOHN T. COLLINS, `OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO WALDO L. CURTISS, OF WINSTED, CONNECTICUT.

STREETHSWEEPER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 669,684, dated March 12, 1901.

Application filed October 8, 1900. Serial No. 32,389. (No model.)

TON/ll L12/@07% it mld/y 00711007721.' construct and organize the motordriven Beit known that I, JOHN T. COLLINS, a citimeans for the pump or air-compressor that zen of' the United States of America, and a the same may be periodically operated as reresident of the city and county of Hartford, quired. 55 5 in the State of Connecticut, have invented With these objects in View the invention certain new and useful Improvements in consists in certain details of constructiomin Street-Sweepers, of which the following is a certain novel elementary features, and in the specification. combination and arrangement of the several Thisin'vention relates generically to streetparts of the sweeper, substantially as herein- 6o io sweepers, and is somewhat in the nature of afterdescribed,and more particularly pointed an improvement upon the automobile streetout in the claims.

sweeper described in my eopending applica- In the drawings accompanying and forming tion, Serial No. 17,553, filed May 22, 1900, to part of this specification, Figure l is a side whichreference may be had. elevation, parts being broken away, of my 65 15 An object of the present invention is to furimproved street-sweeper, showing the means nish a self-propelled street-sweeper of irnfor propelling the sweeper and the brush repproved construction and organization emresented as two independent reeiprocatory bodying means whereby the effective pressteam-engines in connection with one boiler, sure of the sweeper-brush upon the surface certain parts of the sweeper and minor de- 7o 2o may be arbitrarily varied and whereby said tails of the propelling means being omitted. brush maybe quickly shifted into an effect- Fig. 2 is a plan view of the sweeper. Fig. 3 ive or ineffective position. is a side View of the spraying apparatus, the

A further object is to provide, in connecdirt-receptacle supporting said apparatus betion with the brush, a dust guard or hood ing shown in section; and Fig. 4L is an end 75 23 surrounding the major portion of said brush View, as seen from the left in Fig. 15, of a porand so supported as to be raised and lowered tion of the air-compressing instru mentalities. with said brush and maintained at all times Similar characters represent like parts in in a fixed relation thereto, and also to provide all the figures of the drawings.

a pivotally-supported dust-pan below and in In the preferred embodiment of my inven- 8o 3o advance of the brush and to so support the tion the street-sweeper comprises, essentially,

freeend thereof that it will partake of the arectangulardirt-receptacle B, having an nvertical movements of the brush and be let-opening at the rear end thereof; a travelmaintained in fixed relation to the periphery ing carrier C, including traction and guiding thereof. y wheels, for said receptacle; a brush easing or 85 35 A further object of the invention is to prohood D, pivotallysupported midwayits height vide, in operative relation with the brush and and at the forward sides thereof upon the rear dirt-receptacle, improved means for spraying end of the dirt-receptacle; a rotary brush E, tlnid in advance and at opposite ends of the having a shaft journaled in bearings on the brush to lay the dust and obviate obnoxious casing for rotative and oscillatory move- 9o 4o dissemination thereof. ments; means for raising and lowering the A further object of the invention is to probrush and casing together in paths concentric vide, in cooperative relation with the brush to the axis of oscillation of the casing and emand dirt-receptacle,animproved spraying apbodying two beams 2 and 3, pivot-ally supparatusincludingatank,atomizers or sprayported intermediate their ends on the side 95 4; ers in communication with said tank and diswalls of the dirt-receptacle and connected, by posed in advance ot' the brush in position to means of links at their rear ends, to opposite throw a spray in advance and at opposite ends, respectively, to the brush-shaft; means ends of the brush, and a' motor-driven air (shown as connterweightsi and 5)in adjustcompressor or pump in communication with able connection with the beams 2 and 3, reloo.-

o tlie tank and adapted for maintainingr airspeetively, and adapted for regulating the pressure above the water therein, and to so effective sweeping pressure of the brush; propelling means, including a motor F, in operative connection with the traction-Wheels and adapted for imparting traveling movements to the receptacle carrier; brush rotating means, includingan independent motor F', in operative connection with the brush-shaft; spraying instrumentalities, including an air compressor or pump P, in operative connection with a driven element of one motor, and also including atomizing members disposed to disseminate liquid in the path and at opposite ends of the brush, and a dust-pan Gr, pivotally supported upon the rear end of the dirtreceptacle for oscillatory movements with the brush.

The dirt-receptacle B, which may be of any suitable general construction and which will be provided with any suitable floor, is in the nature of a rectangular box having an inletopening at the rear end thereof.

' The ru nning-gear or carrier C for the dirtrecept'acle, which may be of any suitable general construction, comprises, essentially, the main frame or supporting-sills G and 7; the guiding-wheel axle 8, supported at the forward ends of the sills for oscillatory movementin ahorizontal plane; the guiding-Wheels 9 and l0, mounted on said axle; the traction- Shaft, composed, preferably, of two axiallyalined members 12 and 13; traction-wheels 14 and 15, mounted on said shaft members, and steering means (designated in a general way by H) in connection with the steeringaxle.

In contradistinction tothe construction and organization shown and described in the application, Serial No. 17,553, referred to the brushcasing or hood D is a separate element from and is pivotally connected to the rear end of the dirt-receptacle for oscillatory movements instead of being formed integral with said receptacle, it being found advantageous in practice to construct and arrange the brushcasing so that it Will at all times bear a fixed Vrelation to the periphery of the brush irrespective of the position of said brush and so as to haveoscillatory movements concurrently with the brush. To this end the dirt-receptacle is shown having fixed to opposite side faces thereof trunnions 16 and 17, journaled in bearings of straps or supporting-arms 16 and 17', Iixedly secured to opposite side faces of the brush-casing substantially midway the height thereof, the trunnions and straps being so disposed that the axis of oscillation will be intermediate the adjacent edges of the receptacle and casing.

The brush E, which may be of any suitable construction, has a shaft 18, the outer ends of which extend through the side walls of the brush-casing D and are supported in bearings 19 and 1 9', iixed tothe outer faces of the side Walls of said casing, said shaft extending considerably beyond the vouter end of said bearing to provide space for the driving means (hereinafter described) in connection with Said shaft.

The brush casing or hood D may be of wood or metal and will be constructed to surround the upper portion of the periphery of the brush and the ends thereof, said casing being open at the bottom and also having an opening (not shown) through the front wall, near the lower edge thereof, to facilitate the unobstructed passage of dirt or dust to the dirt-receptacle B.

As a means for guiding the dirt to the receptacle B, I have provided a dust-pan Gr, preferably of sheet metal properly strengthened, and have pivotally secured the same at the forward end thereof to the lower rear end of the dirt-receptacle, the rearward end of said dust-pan being disposed below the forward lower peripheral portion of the brush, and as a means for elevating the rear end of the dust-pan with the brush and casing when said brush and casing are raised the rearward end of' said dust-pan is pivotally connected to the brush-casing by means of links 20, the upper portion. of each link having a shiftable connection with a side wall of the casing, whereby to permit vibratory movements of the dust-pan independent of any movement of the easing. This connection is shown as a pin 21 on each side wall of the casing, extending through an elongated slot 23 in the upper end of each link.

As a convenient means for raising and lowering the brush-casing, brush, and dust-pan I have provided two beams 2 and 3, which are pivot-ally connected intermediate their ends at 2 and 3 to the side walls of the dirt-receptacle for oscillatory movements in vertical planes, and have connected the rear ends of said beams to the brush-shaft by means of links 24 and 24C', whereby on oscillatory movements of the beams concurrent oscillatory movements will be'imparted to the brushshaft, brush, casing, and dust-pan. The means for oscillating the beams is shown as a foot-lever 25, pivotally supported in position to be oscillated by the operator and connected, by 'means of a link 26, to a rod 27, connecting the front ends of both beams 2 and 3. It will be obvious, however, that the means for operating the beams maybe variously modied within the purview of this invention.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that the axis of oscillation of the brush is independent of the axis of oscillation of the beams which support the major portion of the weight of the brush and casing.

In practice the brush will have an oscillatory movement between two extreme positions, the lower position being the normal working position of the brush, and in consequenceof theV variation in conditions of different road-beds or street-surfaces it has been found expedient to provide some means for varying the gravitative force or sweeping pressure of the brush to render the machine practical under these Various conditions. As a simpleand convenient ineansforarbitrarily IIO varying the effective weight, gravitative force, or sweeping pressure of the brush as required under different conditions I have provided, in adjustable connection with the supporting-beams 2 and 3, counterweights 4 and 5, adapted to be shifted along the beam toward or away from the fulcrnin of said beams to counterbalance more or less the effective weight of the brush and casing, and consequently the efticiencyor eective force of the brush.

In the preferred construction and organization thereof shown in the accompanyingdrawings the means for propelling or imparting traveling movements to the machine as a `whole consists of a motor F, represented for convenience as a rotary steam-engine supported `upon the dirt-receptacle at one side thereof, a counter-shaft or driven shaft 30, journaled at opposite ends in suitable bearings on top of the dirt-receptacle and operativelyconnected to the engine-shaft, and actuating-connectors 3l and 32 between said counter-shaft and the two traction-shaft members l2 and 13, respectively, said actuatingconnectors being shown as belts extending over band-wheels on the counter-shaft and traction-shaft members. It will be obvious, however, that other forms of connectors between the traction-shaft members and counter-shaft may be employed. The motor F is shown operatively connected with the counter-shaft by means of a band 33, extending over pulleys 34 and 35, fixed, respectively, to the counter-shaft and engine-shaft 36. The source of supply for the engine is indicated as a steam-boiler K, supported in the forward end of the dirt-receptacle and connected by a valve-controlled steam-pipe 37 to the steamchest of the engine F. In practice the counter-shaft will be of the same general construction as the usual divided cou nter-shaft,\vhose separated members are connected by an equational box or equalizer, as indicated at 3S, and such as is commonly employed in connection with the traction-wheel shafts of an ordinary motor-vehicle, a clutch device, such as indicated at L and which may be of ordinary construction and organization, being provided for controlling the effective move ments of said counter-shaft 30, said clutch device including a pivoted lever 39, the outer end of which is in convenient reach of the operatoin The driving mechanism or actuating means for the brush B consists in the organization thereof (shown in the accompanying drawings) of a motor F' (shown as a dupllcate of the motor F) and supported on top of the dirt-receptacle on the other side of the boiler, with which it is connected by a valve-controlled ind nation-pipe 37'; a counter-shaft 40, journaled in suitable bearings upon top of the receptacle and operatively connected with the shaft 36' of the engine E" by a belt 33', extending over pulleys 34' and '35', fixed to said counter-shaft and engine-shaft, respectively;

duplex idle wheels 41 and 42, loosely mounted on the trunnions 16 and 17; wheels 43 and 44, fixed to opposite ends of the counter-shaft wheels 45 and 46, fixed to opposite ends of the brush-shaft; belts 47 and 48, operatively connecting these wheels 45 and 46 and the duplex idle wheels, and belts 49 and 50, connecting the idle wheels with the wheels 43 and 44 on the counter-shaft.

It will be obvious that the means of connection between the counter-shaft 40 and brush-shaft may be variously modified without departure from this invention.

By providing idle wheels intermediate the brush-shaft and counter-shaft 40 and disposing said idle wheels coincident with the axis of oscillation of the brush and brush-casing said brush may be raised and lowered in an arc concentric to said axis without affecting the tautness of the belts or changing their driving relations.

As a convenient means for spraying liquid in the path of the brush and at opposite ends thereof, I have provided a spraying apparatus, which in the preferred construction and organization thereof illustrated in the accompanying drawings comprises awater-tank 5l, shown supported by a strap 52 in the interior of the dirt-receptacle B, near the upper rear end thereof; a main discharge-pipe 53, having a valve 55 for controlling the discharge; branch dischargepipes 56 and 57, leading downward to opposite sides of the dirt-receptacle in proximity to the floor thereof; spraying-tips or atomizers 58 and 58 in connection with the lower ends of the pipes 56 and 57 and disposed with their spraying'ends pointing toward each other and in substantial parallelism with the axis of the brush, so as to spray liquid crosswise of the dirt-receptacle and in advance of the brush; two spraying-tips or atomizers 59 and 59 in counection with the lower ends of the pipes 56 and 57 and disposed at right angles to the spraying-tips 5S and 59, with their discharge ends pointing rearwardly and in position to disseminate liquid at opposite ends, respectively, of said brush, and preferably between the brush and sidewalls of the casingfaJ air compressor or pump P, preferably supported upon the upper Wall of the dirt-receptacle in advance of the counter-shaft 40; an air-pipe 60, leading from t-he front end of the air-pump to the interior of the water-tank above the normal water-line, (indicated at 61,) and an actuating-connector (designated in a general way by P) between the piston-rod 62 of the air-pu mp and one ofthe counter-shafts 40,which is driven byoneof the motors, as F.

By providing a motor-actuated air-pump in connection with the water-tank I am enabled to maintain aplenum of air of requisite pressure above the Water-line of said tank to force liquid through the spraying-tips or atolnizing members, which is a matter of cousiderable importance, as itfacilitales the dissemination ol' the liquid in a tine spray, which will be projected to a considerable distance beyond the discharge ends of said atomizing members.

For the purpose of automatically stopping the pump when a predetermined air-pressure has been attained in the water-tank, and.

thereby prevent accidental overcharging of said water-tank with air and obviate bursting through such overcharging and to automatically start said pump when the pressure falls below the maximum predetermined pressure, l have provided means (shown as an element of the actuating-connector P' between the piston-rod and the counter-shaft) for automatically arresting the movement of the piston-rod, thus stopping the pump after a predetermined maximum air-pressure has been attained in said water-tank and for automatically effecting a movement of said pistonrod, thus starting the pump when the pressure is reduced below that predetermined maximum pressure, and which means in the preferred form thereof (shown most clearlyin Fig. 3) comprises a spiral spring 63, interposed between the two members and 66 of the actuating-connector P, and which spring has a resistance substantially equal to the predetermined maximum air-pressure resistance in thepump-cylinder. The actuating-connector P' is shown consisting of an eccentric 64, fixed to the counter-shaft 40, an eccentric-strap 65, surrounding said eccentric and having a tubular extension 65', a connecting-rod or pitman 66, having one end thereof seated for reciprocatory movements in the extension 65 and having the opposite end thereof pivotally secured to the piston-rod 62, and a resistant member or cushioning-spring 63, disposed between the outer end of the connecting-rod 66 and the inner wall of the extension 65', the connectingrod being shown furnished with a transverse pin 67, which is seated in an elongated slot 67 in the extension 65. This spring 63 will have a'resistance equal to the pressure it is desired to attain in the'tank 5l and will act, through the medium of the extension 65', t0 advance the `pump-piston until the pressure in the tank and in advance of the piston is sufficient to overcome the resistance of the spring, when said spring will be compressed during the continued pistonadvancing movements of the eccentric without advancing the piston-rod. Thus it will be seen that when a predetermined pressure in excess of the resistance of the spring has been attained in the tank the eccentric 64 will have an ineffective movement in so far as the operation of the pump-piston is concerned, or, in other words, the movements of the pump-piston willthen be interrupted until the pressure in the tank is reduced below the effective resistance of the spring 63.

I claim l'. A street-sweeper comprising a dirt-receptacle having traction and guiding Wheels; motor-actuated means for rotating the traction-wheels; a brush-casing fulcrumed substantially midway its height and near the front edge thereof on the rear end of the dirtreceptacle and having centrally disposed brush-supporting bearings at one side the fulcrumed point of said casing; a brush having a shaft rotatably mounted in said bearings; means, independent of the traction-wheel-rotating means, for rotating the brush; an oscillatory carrier pivotally supported intermediate its ends on the dirt-receptacle and including links at the rear end thereof in pivot connection with the casing; leveractuated means in connection with the forward end of the carrier and effective for operating the same to raise and lower the brush and casing; and a weight shiftably mounted on the carrier in advance of the pivotal point thereof. 2. A street-sweeper comprising a motorpropelled dirt-receptacle a brush-casing having central shaftsupporting bearings and having an independent pivotal connection at its front end with the dirt-receptacle substantially in horizontal alinement with the axis of said bearings; a rotary brush having a shaft journaled in said bearings; a dustpan pivotally supported at its front edge on the lower rear end of the dirt-receptacle and extending rearwardly under the front portion of the brush;l links pivotally connecting the rear end of the dust-pan to the lower edge of the brush-casing whereby said pan will par-- take of the oscillatory movements of said casing; two horizontally-disposed beams pivotally supported intermediate their ends at opposite sides respectively of the dirt-receptacle; vertically-disposed links connecting the rear ends of said beams with the brush-shaft and casing; foot-lever-actuated means in pivotal connection with the front ends of said beams and effective for oscillating the same to raise and lower the brush-casing and dustpan concurrently; counterweights shiftably mounted on the beams intermediate their pivotal points and the foot-lever-actuated means; and means for rotating said brush independent of the movement of the dirt-receptacle.

3. In a street-sweeper the combination,with the dirt-receptacle and its traveling support, of a brush-casing pivotally mounted on the rear end of the dirt-receptacle for oscillatory movements; a brush having a shaft rotatably mounted in bearings on said casing; means for rotating said brush; a carrier supporting the free end of the casing having a pivotal connection. with the dirt-receptacle; means for tilting the carrier to impart oscillatory movements to the casing and brush; and independent counterweighting means in adjustable connection with the forward end of the carrier, and adapted for regulating the gravitative force of lthe brush when in its sweeping position.

4:. Inastreet-sweeper the combinatiomwith the dirt-receptacle and its traveling support, of a brush-casing pivotally mounted on the rear end of the dirt-receptacle for oscillatory movements; a brush `having a shaft rotatably IIO IIS

` lower the casing, brush, and dust-pan; and

independent counterweighting means in adjustable connection with the forward end of the carrier and adapted for regulating the gravitative force of the brush whenin its sweeping position.

"5. A self-propelled street-sweeper embodygringa dirt-receptacle; a brush-casing pivotally supported `on the `rear end of the receptacle for bodily oscillatory movements; a brush having a shaft rotatably supported in bearings on the casing at one side the axis of oscillation of said casing; a motor for rotating said brush; and independent motorcontrolled means for spraying uid between the brush-casing and dirt-receptacle and including a tank, a motor-actuated pump communicating with said tank, conduits leading from the tank. to a point between the dirt-receptacle and casing, and atomizers connected to the lower end of the conduits.

G. In a street-sweeper the combination, with a dirt-receptacle having an inlet at the rear end thereof and with motor-propelled' carrying means for said receptacle, of a brush supported for rotation adjoining the inlet end of the receptacle; independently-operative motor-propelled means for rotating said brush; a water-tank supported on the upper rear end of the dirt-receptacle; a motor-actuated pump in connection with said tank; one or more conduits leading` from said tank to a point or points between the receptacle and brush; two sets of atomizing members or spraying-tips in connection with said conduit or conduits and disposed one set at right angles to the other, in position to discharge water in the path, and at the opposite end, of the brush; and means for controlling the discharge.

7. A street-sweeper comprehending a dirtreceptacle; a wheeled carrier for said receptacle; a motor for propelling said carrier; a rotary brush supported in the rear of the re ceptacle; an independent motor for rotating said brush; a spraying apparatus including a Water-tank supported on the receptacle and having atomizing members disposed to spray liquid in the path, and at opposite ends, of the brush; an air pump or compressor in communication with the water-tank and Operable for maintaining a plenum of air under pressurein said tank; and pump-actuating means in connection with one of the motors.

Signed by me at Hartford, Connecticut, this 1st day of October, A. D. 1900.

JOHN T. COLLINS.

Witnesses:

'E. C. WHITNEY,

L. C. Woon. 

